DLA Piper US LLP has supported the UC Davis Big Bang! Business Competition since its earliest days, and was a Gold-level sponsor in 2020/21. We talked with David Richardson about DLA Piper’s and his long-time involvement.

“The Big Bang! win was an incredible boost to our startup, and gave us the enthusiasm and confidence all young entrepreneurs crave.”

This saying resonates with planners and low-risk takers and had always seemed to serve me well.

I started my UC Davis online MBA just as the pandemic hit and the world reeled. Risk was everywhere. By the end of my first academic quarter, life and planning were at a standstill, except for Zoom. I was worried about the future and even considered leaving the program. The fear of not knowing what might lie beyond the jumping off point had me doubting myself.

A team of executive MBA students attending UCLA's Anderson School of Business captured the $20,000 first prize for the top innovation in the 21st annual Big Bang! Business Competition on May 27. The prize is sponsored by Lorin Johnson and Marrone Bio Innovations.

The competition drew students and alumni from across UC Davis, as well as from colleges and universities throughout California. Together, the Big Bang! and Little Bang!

Inventopia, a Davis startup incubator launched by 2008 Big Bang! winner Tim Keller, recently landed a $100K loan from the City of Davis to add specialized space needed by local entrepreneurs and new ventures. Its newest tenant, Peakb, develops naturally derived blue food coloring and was founded by UC Davis Professor Justin Siegel. Read the article>

Benjamin Wang, 2014 Big Bang! Business Competition winner and founder/chief medical officer of NeVap Inc., shares how winning the competition helped launch his entrepreneurial journey, notes his successes since then—and explains how the Big Bang! helps innovators go from concept to company. Watch video >

by Marianne Skoczek

A team of UC Davis graduate students captured both the $20,000 first prize, sponsored by Lorin Johnson and Marrone Bio Innovations and the $10,000 Health Sector Award, sponsored by Bayer Crop Science in the 20th annual Big Bang! Business Competition on May 20.

Sacramento MBA student Samantha Contreras shares how she caught the entrepreneurial bug and joined a winning team in the UC Davis Big Bang! Business Competition. Read the article >